What’s Good This Week #71

What’s Good is finally back, with a plentiful amount of hip-hop and R’n’B for you to sink your teeth into courtesy of clipping, Jamila Woods and more.

clipping. – Say the Name

Less than a year after the first release in a series of horror-themed LPs “There Existed An Addiction To Blood”, Clipping returns with the announcement of their new album “Visions Of Bodies Being Burned” (out October 23rd), alongside lead single ‘Say the Name’. Tied to the eponymous Candyman film throughout both lyrically and visually; ‘Say the Name’ comes loaded with the wealth of Daveed Diggs exceptional lyricism, referencing a Scarface line from the Geto Boys’ 1991 single “Mind Playing Tricks On Me, as the tracks opening beat, fusing ’90s rap and industrial, experimental hip-hop from the word go.

Jamila Woods – SULA (Paperback)

Never one to be confined or restricted by societal expectations, Jamila Woods latest effort ‘SULA’ is inspired by author Toni Morrison and their 1973 novel, depicting conformity in society as radically anti-human. “Those lyrics, “[a] reject[ion of] confining ideas about my identity designed to shrink my spirit”, states Woods, further exploring the anti-blackness of societies conforming ideals. “Freedom and triumph they weren’t made for me, girls of my colour find something else to be/ soft as my skin is my power’s discreet”; Woods’ blend of delicate sounding vocals and powerful lyricism challenge the confinements that are placed upon her, bringing together punk ideals with black, female pride.

Flatbush Zombies – Afterlife

The Brooklyn group’s collaboration with James Blake on ‘Afterlife’ is a moment that both visually and auditory will go down as one of modern hip-hop’s finest moments. Directed by Arnaud Bresson, the video for ‘Afterlife is arguably even more impressive than the already insane combination of James Blake’s production skills and Flatbush Zombies’ impeccable flow and lyricism.  “Today, there is no technology that x-ray films a living being without endangering it, so we worked hand in hand with a post-production company to develop a technical device that would allow us to achieve a similar effect, we used multi-camera tracking, recorded the positions and movements of our characters to extract and apply to our 3D compositions. It took four months of work to find the perfect style.”

M.A.G.S – Berlin

Taken from his “Lost Tapes” EP (released back in March), M.A.G.S, aka Elliott Douglas, delivers punchy, American indie rock on feel-good track ‘Berlin’. With the spirit of his east coast upbringing flowing through the Cali-styled rhythms on ‘Berlin’, Douglas encapsulates the sense of weightlessness expected with coastal living, topped with the reality and struggles of modern-day living. Almost a slap back to reality, ‘Berlin’s’ dreamy aesthetic topped with its grunge-tinged indie rock is classic American-styled rock that is made to get lost in.

R.A.E – Summer Love

The London rapper trades her ’90s hip-hop aesthetic, for a more R’n’B/pop-inspired sound on ‘Summer Love’. A dreamy aesthetic of saturated vocals, looping synth and guitar hooks in a new jack swing style, ‘Summer Love’ utilises the style and wit of R.A.E’s past releases and love of ’90s hip-hop and R’n’B to create a sun-bleached, love fuelled anthem, destined for every teen’s love song filled playlist for the next year.